Artificial limb



(NoMoael.)

W. LOCKWOOD.

ARTIFICIAL LIMB. No. 315,519. A Patented Apr. 14, 1885.

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UNITED STATES PATENT Ulmen.;`

WILLSHIRE LOCKNYOOD, yOF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

ARTlFlclAl. LIMB.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lette-rs Patent NO. 315,519, dated April14, 1885. Y

Application tiled January 3, 1885. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLsHiRn LocKwooD, a citizen of the United States,residingA at St.

Louis and State of Missouri, haveinvented new and useful Improvements inArtificial Legs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the construction of anankle-joint in an artiiicial leg with lateral or side motion, and whichoperates in conjunction with three tendons; and the objects of myimprovements are, first, to reduce the number of tendons ina universalor lateral motion artificial leg, and construct the ankle and the footin such a manner that I can use a system of three tendons-#two in frontand one in rear, or vice versa; second, to afford facilities for theproper adjustment of the tendons independently of each other, and toavoid all chafing or chewing oft of the tendons, and allowing the sameto rotate with the movement ofthe ankle and the foot without injury tothe tendons, third, toprovide an ankle-joint with universal or lateralmoti0n,with a connecting-link between the ankle and the footindependently of the tendons, for the purpose of regulating the tensionof the ankle-joint and taking up all wear orlost motion, and toconstruct the ankle-joint in such a manner as to give it a universal orlateral motion of a more durable character, and

to make it approach as near as possible the natural limb in all itsmovements; I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which;

Figure l is a vertical section of an artificial leg, showing one of thetwo front tendons and the rear tendon, with the movable and mechanicaldevice of the ankle-joint, in combination with the two semi-globularheaded rods; Fig. 2, a section of the limb, showing more completely theformation of the ankle-joint. Fig. 3 represents the reverse section ofthe leg through the dotted lines a b of Fig. l, showing the two fronttendons and a sectional view of the ankle-joint, in combination Vwiththe semi-globular headed rods. Fig. 4 is a scalesection of the footrepresentation of Fig. 2, to afford a better illustration of themechanical device of the same for the unhampered movement of the twofront and the rear tendon in connection with the center movement, asshown in Fig. 2.

j Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views. j

TheroundshellA is formed of two hemispheres screwed together, and eachhas an 0blong slot eut transversely-one in the upper side, the other inthe lower side, of shellto admit the rods D D to pass through frominside of the shell, where the semi-globular heads B B are held, and oneend of one rod D passes up into, the ankle, the other through the foot,constituting the articulating mechanism of the foot and ankle, iucombination with the hollow sockets C C and the three tendons T T T. Theshell A is partly embedded in the hollow sockets C C of both the footandankle, permitting free articulation. The two semi-globular heads B B ofthe rods D D are in the inside cavity of the shell A,

`by means of which the foot and ankle are connected independently ot'the tendons T T. (See Figs. l and 3.) Thesemi-globular heads B B of therods D D inside of the shell A adjust themselves to any requiredposition by the movement of the ankle and foot, in combina tion with therods D D and the ankle and foot.

The rods D D pass from the inside of the shell A through oblong slotscut transversely and opposite each other-one up into the ankle, theother through thefoot-and permit the free movement of the leg in onedirection andthe foot in another. They are provided with screws andnuts-oue in the leg, the other in the bottom ot' the foot-for thepurpose of 8;

drawing the semi-globular heads B B close to the inside surface of theshell A, and thus holding the foot and the ankle together indepeudentlyof the tendons T T T, and taking up all wear or lost motion.

T T, Fig. 1, represent one of the two front tendons and the rear tendon.the two fronttendons.- Allof these tendons are provided with rubbersprings B B B, which permit the rotation of the foot andankleby theirexpansion and contraction, in combina tion with the three tendons TTT,"which-are vprovided with sphericalor rounded lends X X X, asillustrated in Figs. 1, 3and4, and which permita free rotary'mvementinthe concave sockets C C G. The sockets C C C are provided with aproper incut, in order to permit the free movement of the tendons T T Tin any direction required by the use 0f the T T, Fig. 3, are j IOO leg,and thereby prevent anybending or chafing of the tendons T T T. Thetongues F F F, in connection with the spherical ends X X X of thetendons T T T, work in grooves engraved in the lower sides of thespherical ends X X X ofthe tendons T T T,and are intended to prevent therotation of the tendons T T T when taking up the wear and regulating thetension of the rubber springs R R Rby means of the screw and nut on theupper ends of the tendons T T T.

G is a rotating stopper working on a pivot for the prevention of anyrotarymotion of the foot and the ankle horizontally, thereby protectingthe tendons T T T from side friction, and keeping the foot and the anklein their proper relative positions.

I am aware that solid round balls have been used for theankle-articulation of an artificial leg, and also of the sphericalhollow joint with arms attached on each side of the hollow joint, withfour rods clasping the same,two passing up into ankle,lholdingankle-bolt to the upper part, and two passing into foot, for whichLetters Patent were granted to C. D. Leach, February 24, 1874, No.151,689; also of the improvement of a llexible joint composed of twoplates with conical sockets and a rod with double conical head restingin a base, both placed together to keep the rod in same position, forwhich Letters Patent were granted P. M. VVOlf, September 19, 1882, No.264,812.

I am also aware of the construction of the ankle-joint with ball andsocket or cup and spring for the moderate play of same, for whichLetters Patent were granted to Englebrecht, Rocklen, and Staehlen,January 6, 1863, No. 87,282.

I am also aware of the construction of an ankle-joint for an artificiallegwhere the halves of the hollow shell are permanently riveted togetherafter insertion of the hemispherical heads of the uniting-rods, forwhich Letters Patent were granted George L. Shepard, May 17, 1864, No.42,799.

I am also aware of the construction of the ankle and foot of anartificial leg with lateral or side motion, in combination with four andtive tendons. I therefore do not claim such a combination, broadly; but

Vhat I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The combination,in the ankle-joint of an artificial leg, of a roundhollow shell, A,which is made in two parts screwed together with the tworods D D, with semi-globular heads B B, inclosed in the shell-cavity,all substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, in an artificial leg, of the three tendons T T T,with spherical or rounded ends X X X, and the hollow sockets C C C,substantially as described, and for the purpose specilied, as set forth.

VILLSHIRE LOGKVOOD.

Witnesses J. L. O. HENKEL, E. B. S. JEFFREY.

